How will BlackBoxGuild distribute its commission to individual contributors under the new royalty system?

[blvdone]

BlackBoxGuild has nearly 1 million videos from probably hundreds of contributors.  Royalty rate will reset in January.  I wonder how they'll distribute royalty to each contributors with different amount of sales.  Some may never reach above 25% level if they individually contributed.  I think BlackBoxGuild will easily reach 35% level and may surpass 40% level too.  They will definitely benefit from this new royalty level system and increase overall revenue.  We the individual contributors will end up "paying" Shutterstock approximately $1,200 before we reach the 30% level 4.  However, because BlackBoxGuild is a single account from hundreds of contributors, they will also pay $1,200 for hundreds of contributors.  That's a bad deal for Shutterstock.  If Shutterstock disallow collective account and each contributor ends up uploading on his/her own, Shutterstock will take $1,200 from hundreds of contributors.  If BlackBoxGuild reaches 40% level, even after the 15% fee to BlackBoxGuild, each contributor's take is 40% x 0.85 = 34%.  That's higher than most contributors uploaded by themselves.  I wonder how BlackBoxGuild will determine how much percentage each contributors with different numbers of sales will get.  It's very likely that none of the individual contributors on BlackBoxGuild would reach 35% level on their own.  So, it's a great business for BlackBoxGuild if they distribute commissions based on each contributor's royalty level.  BlackBoxGuild can keep all the excess royalty they get from organizing a collective account.  They can be getting 40% from Shutterstock, but can pay 30% - 15% fee = 25.5% to contributors.  That's only like 64% of 40% royalty in this scenario.  Anybody have any idea how they'll do this?

https://www.shutterstock.com/es/g/blackboxguild/video

 

If you don't know what BlackBox is, here it is.

"

How does BlackBox make money?

Our commission rate is 15% of NET sales and only when your content sells. So on a $80 clip sale where the stock agency takes $48 (60%), leaving $32 (40%) for the contributor commission, BlackBox would get $4.80 and you would get $27.20."

https://www.blackbox.global/faq

[blvdone]

Anybody knows how it works with BlackBoxGuild?

[Doug Jensen]

Why don't you ask them these questions directly?    If you can't get a straight answer, then that tells you something about their business practices.

[Steven Tritton]

Individual contributors will move through the tiers regardless of their number of sales by virtue of them collectively being one account.

[blvdone]

11 minutes ago, Steven Tritton said:

Individual contributors will move through the tiers regardless of their number of sales by virtue of them collectively being one account.

So even if you would be at lower level like 20% if you uploaded as individual contributor, because you are part of BlackBoxGuild, you get like 35% - 15% fee = 29,.75%?  Is that a confirmed info?

[blvdone]

In theory, if we all combine our accounts into one collective account, we'll all get 40% royalty for the most of the year and Shutterstock will roll back to universal 30% royalty like it used to be.  lol

[Former_Poster]

18 minutes ago, blvdone said:

In theory, if we all combine our accounts into one collective account, we'll all get 40% royalty for the most of the year and Shutterstock will roll back to universal 30% royalty like it used to be.  lol

Or just clarify their terms and conditions stating shared accounts arent legal.  And keep the new tiers.

[Doug Jensen]

24 minutes ago, Former_Poster said:

Or just clarify their terms and conditions stating shared accounts arent legal.  And keep the new tiers.

"against the rules" would be the better terminology.  There is no law against it, so "legal" has nothing to do with it.

[blvdone]

40 minutes ago, Former_Poster said:

Or just clarify their terms and conditions stating shared accounts arent legal.  And keep the new tiers.

Honestly, I think it's not fair to us individual contributors if combined account is taking advantage of the new system.

[Doug Jensen]

If you think it is unfair, get your own group of contributors to join together and do the same thing. Nothing is stopping you.

[Former_Poster]

1 hour ago, blvdone said:

Honestly, I think it's not fair to us individual contributors if combined account is taking advantage of the new system.

Maybe but BB take a large cut on top of what people get paid so still no real benefit to using them.

From SS point of view though they want as many as possible on as low a level as possible so its definitely not in their interests to have BB selling lots at a high level - far better for them to keep those individuals separate and on lower tiers.

[blvdone]

7 hours ago, Former_Poster said:

Maybe but BB take a large cut on top of what people get paid so still no real benefit to using them.

From SS point of view though they want as many as possible on as low a level as possible so its definitely not in their interests to have BB selling lots at a high level - far better for them to keep those individuals separate and on lower tiers.

I would never use a third party uploader.  

[PlopandShoot]

4 minutes ago, blvdone said:

I would never use a third party uploader.  

Then why create the topic about something that doesn't affect you? 

[blvdone]

34 minutes ago, PlopandShoot said:

Then why create the topic about something that doesn't affect you? 

Why can't I?  i don't understand your point.

[blvdone]

36 minutes ago, PlopandShoot said:

Then why create the topic about something that doesn't affect you? 

Why are you commenting here when you have nothing to add to the discussion?

[Doug Jensen]

4 hours ago, blvdone said:

Why are you commenting here when you have nothing to add to the discussion?

Did you get an answer to your questions yet from BB after you contacted them? 

[blvdone]

Anybody using BlackBox?

[PlopandShoot]

15 hours ago, blvdone said:

Why can't I?  i don't understand your point.

Why answer a question with a question? Why start yet another thread about a service you say you have no intention of using?

Simple question and it seems relevant to me.

[HodagMedia]

2 hours ago, PlopandShoot said:

Why answer a question with a question? Why start yet another thread about a service you say you have no intention of using?

Simple question and it seems relevant to me.

Who knows where he is leading with this one. It's like watching a spinning top, wobble and bounce across a table, not knowing what direction it's turning next.

18 hours ago, blvdone said:

I would never use a third party uploader.  

Well fine, what's the point?

On 12/23/2020 at 9:09 AM, blvdone said:

Honestly, I think it's not fair to us individual contributors if combined account is taking advantage of the new system.

It's not because of the new system, if you think about it, this worked for the old system too? On all the sites that Blackbox distributes to, for you.

If you think someone is getting something you can't, maybe you should join? Not like this is a private club or costs you anything.

 

[PlopandShoot]

I have discovered over the years that there seems to be two schools of contributor. Those who work and do what they can to succeed, and those who constantly measure other contribs on the off chance someone is getting something better than they are. I find it sad really, but that's human nature for ya. 

I am currently using a third party uploader for the simple fact that it is easier and has some benefits I would not otherwise get uploading individually. 

 

[blvdone]

8 minutes ago, PlopandShoot said:

I have discovered over the years that there seems to be two schools of contributor. Those who work and do what they can to succeed, and those who constantly measure other contribs on the off chance someone is getting something better than they are. I find it sad really, but that's human nature for ya. 

I am currently using a third party uploader for the simple fact that it is easier and has some benefits I would not otherwise get uploading individually. 

 

So, everybody who uses BlackBox is at the same royalty level regardless of how many each contributor sells?  If that's the case, that's great for low volume selling contributors.